Puja Khedkar case: Police likely to close case against Pune collector soon

Pune police is likely to close the inquiry on Pune collector Suhas Diwase against whom former IAS probationer had levelled allegations of sexual harassment.

She made the accusations against her senior when she was transferred from Pune to Washim last month, for highhanded and entitled behaviour. After moving to Washim, Khedkar gave a written statement to Washim police detailing misbehaviour by Diwase when she worked at the Pune collectorate. The papers were later sent to the commissioner of police, Pune.

On Friday, Pune commissioner Amitesh Kumar said, “We have served her many notices to appear at the commissionerate but she never turned up. So now we assume she has nothing to say; we will see what’s to be done next.”

Senior IAS officers privy to the case said the case will be closed soon. Chief secretary Sujata Saunik said, “Preliminary inquiry is being done by Pune police and it should end there.”

Puja courted controversy when she was seen driving into Pune collectorate as a trainee IAS officer in her Audi, bearing a Maharashtra government insignia and a red beacon. She also demanded an ante-chamber to work from. After she was transferred to Washim, she came to Mantralaya to meet Saunik, barging into her office, and eventually being turned away.

Diwase had denied the allegations against him, underlining that senior officers have stood by him.

Manorama Khedkar granted bail

On Friday, additional sessions judge Ajit N Mare, in Pune, granted regular bail to Manorama Khedkar, mother of the former IAS probationer, in the case of criminal intimidation associated with a land dispute in Mulshi tehsil. Manorama was arrested on July 18 after a video of her threatening farmers while brandishing a gun went viral on social media.

Pune rural police had lodged a case against Manorama, her husband and six others subsequently, based on a complaint by the farmer. She was later apprehended from a hotel in Mahad taluka, Raigad district, where she was hiding from the rural police.

In his order, Mare said, “Manorama Khedkar be released in connection with the crime registered with Paud police station for the offences punishable under sections 307, 323, 504, 506, 143, 144, 147, 148 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The applicant shall not contact the informant and witnesses in the case by any mode of communication and shall not try to influence them in any manner.”